Ornamental cover



March 23, 1937. L K, STUPELL 2,074,9594

ORNAMENTAL COVER Filed Sept. e, 1934 f7 im 4.. y@

Patented Mar. 23, 1.937

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ORNAMENTAL COVER y Leo K. Stupell, New York, N. Y.

Application September 6, 1934, Serial No. 742,901 s claims. (el. 40-140) My present invention relates to ornamental containers, and has particular reference to a novel cover construction for cigarette cases.

Cigarettes are usually sold in flat tins of fty for home consumption, the tins having a hinged cover which may be lifted to permit removal of the cigarettes. It has been found that the tins are satisfactory containers, and are extensively used for that purpose instead of using humidors i0 or separate cigarette boxes. The appearance of the tin cover, however, is not attractive; it is the principal object of my invention to devise a cover which will fit over the hinged lid of a cigarette box, and which will be ornamental.

Moveover, the tin lid is usually stamped with the name of the cigarette, and has no markings identifying the owner. It is a further object of my invention to so form the ornamental cigarette case as to receive personal insignia such as initials, monograms or similar identifying markings, whereby the novel cover, in addition to being ornamental, indicates the owner.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette case, having the novel cover mounted on the hinged lid thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, illustrating one method of interchangeably mounting initials in the ornamental cover;

Fig. 3 is a similar section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3a is a perspective view of a frame for the ornaments used in my invention;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified construction of interchangeable initials;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a novel monogram arrangement which may be removably mounted in the ornamental cover; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the initial forming the base of Fig. 5.

It has been found desirable to ornament a container such as a cigarette tin by removably positioning an ornamental cover on the hinged lid thereof, thus increasing the attractiveness of the container so that it can be used as a desk container until empty. It has also been found advisable to form the ornamental cover so as to receive an ornament or the like, as for example, an initial, or a monogram, so that the ornamental effect is enhanced and ownership is indicated. To this end, I have provided a recess in the ornamental cover, which may be positioned at any 5 suitable place, in which recess an interchangeable ornament or monogram may be readily inserted. I have further provided a construction of the cover which facilitates lifting the cover, and which lockingly engages the lid of the cigarette 10 box so as to prevent accidental separation therefrom. These features are more fully described in the detailed description following.

Referring to the drawing, the cigarette tin has a usual base II and a cover portion I2 which is l5 hinged thereto; an ornamental cover is provided which consists of a top I4 and sides I 4a which frictionally engage the sides of the cover portion I2, the top I4 being ornamented in any suitable manner, as by using two or more colors. The top 20 I4 is stamped or indented at any suitable place so as to pro-vide a recess I5, see Fig. 3, which has two slits I6 formed on opposite sides thereof as illustrated, whereby two edges I'I and a depressed base IIa are provided adjacent the slits to receive 25 an interchangeable ornament such as a monogram or the like, the edges of the slits being resilient. The recess I5 may be of any form, but is preferably rectangular in shape, whereby an initial frame I8 may be snapped therein, the two 30 bars I9, 20 of the initial frame being grooved as illustrated in Fig. 2 so as snap into the recess to lockingly engage the edges I'I in the grooves of the bars I9, 20. The interior edges of the bars I9, 20 are bevelled as indicated at 2I, and a central bar 35 22 may be provided, also bevelled, the bars being resilient, although less resilient than the cover materials, whereby interchangeable initials 23 which are correspondingly grooved on their opposite edgesv may be snapped into the frame be- 40 tween the bevelled bars thereof, as indicated in Fig. 2. This construction permits the insertion of an initial-containing frame in the recess, which frame may be formed in any suitable manner, to hold an ornament, or one or more initials, or the frame may have division bars such as bar 22 so as to form separate compartments, each capable of receiving one or more ornaments or initials. 50

If preferred, the bars of ornament frame 24 may be bevelled instead of grooved, as indicated in Fig. 4, the initials 25 being correspondingly bevelled, whereby the frame may be snapped so as to have its bar caught under the edges Il of the 55 cover, the initials being similarly snapped so as to have their bevelled edges caught under the edges of the frame bars. The edges l1 of the cover being resilient, the frame 24 may be readily snapped thereunder, as the edges I1 have sufcient give. The initials 25 may similarly be snapped into the frame, as the overlap, because of the bevelled ends, is relatively slight, and the frame parts have sufiicient resilience to permit the necessary spreading movement for accommodating the initials. After the initials have been snapped in place they are held both by the frame and by the depressed base Ila of the indented portion.

Instead of using a frame for receiving initials or other ornaments as described above, it may be preferred to use a base initial such as indicated at 26 in Fig. 5, this initial being recessed or grooved as indicated in Fig. 6, as by utilizing two separate portions 21, 28, which are Welded together, whereby spaces 29 are provided which are bevelled as indicated to receive a second initial 30, the second initial 3G having its edges bevelled so as to snap into the recesses 29. This construction forms a very ornamental eiect, as the combination of several initials, one of which is snapped into the cover and the second or which is snapped into the iirst initial, simulates the appearance of a hand cut monogram. The recesses 29 may be shaped to receive specic letters, or a recess of standard form may be used to receive a snap-in initial which has a corresponding standard outline. Or, if desired, each initial may have a snap-in frame.

The above described construction thus provides an ornamental cover which may be detachably secured to the lid of a cigarette case, and which may have interchangeable ornaments or monograms inserted therein to enhance the ornamentation or to indicate ownership.

Any desired changes in the material of the cover, its color and its general ornamentation, and any desired form of ornament may be used, to suit the requirements of different designers or owners, the ornaments being of metal or other suitable material and of contrasting color if preferred, without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In combination, an ornamental cover of resilient material having a recess, said recess having a base and substantially sharp opposite raised edges, and an ornament element seated in said recess and having edges juxtaposed to said substantially sharp recess edges in locking en-` gagement therewith.

2. In combination, an ornamental cover of resilient material having a recess, said recess having a base and substantially sharp opposite raised edges, and an ornament element seated in said recess and having edges juxtaposed to said substantially sharp recess edges and grooved to receive said recess edges in locking engagement therewith.

3. In combination, an ornamental cover of resilient material having a recess, said recess having substantially sharp opposite raised edges, and an ornament element seated in said recess and having edges juxtaposed to said substantially sharp recess edges and bevelled to snap under said recess edges in locking engagement therewith.

4. In combination, an ornamental cover of resilient material having a recess, said recess having substantially sharp opposite raised edges, and an ornament frame seated in said recess and having edges juxtaposed to said substantially sharp recess edges in locking engagement therewith.

5. In combination, an ornamental cover of resilient material having a recess, said recess having substantially sharp opposite raised edges, and an ornament frame seated in said recess and having edges juxtaposed to said substantially sharp recess edges and grooved to receive said recess edges in locking engagement therewith.

6. In combination, an ornamental cover of resilient material having a recess, said recess having substantially sharp opposite raised edges, and an ornament frame seated in said recess and having edges juxtaposed to said substantially sharp recess edges and bevelled to snap under said recess edges in locking engagement therewith.

'7. In combination, an ornament cover of resilient material having a recess, said recess having a base and substantially sharp opposite edges, and an ornament element seated in said recess and having edges juxtaposed to said substantially sharp recess edges in locking engagement therewith.

8. In combination, an ornamental cover of resilient material having a recess, said recess having a base and substantially sharp opposite edges, and an ornament element seated in said recess and having edges juxtaposed to said substantially sharp recess edges and grooved to receive said recess edges in locking engagement therewith.

LEO K. STUPELL. 

